Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device, and especially to a touch electronic device and a touch link method using the same.
Description of the Related Art
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a contactless technology for identification and interconnection. Near Field Communication allows users to intuitively exchange information, access content and services by using near field magnetic communication (such as near field magnetic communication of 13.56 MHz) between mobile devices, consumer electronics, PCs or smart electronic devices.
Due to the maturity of the market, a mobile phone with NFC can either support the function of the mobile payment or serve as a point of sale (POS) apparatus. However, a proximity card reader or like element must be added to the handheld device because NFC operates by sending and receiving signals based on magnetic fields, and that will make the size of the handheld device larger, and the layout and the elements of the handheld device might be limited.
Touch-link technology of a touch panel device which uses the existing panel and driver IC for communication has been developed recently, and has been described in U.S. 2011/0304583, U.S. 2013/0147760, CN 102916729A. The touch panel device includes a touch sensor. At least a part of the touch sensor includes at least a part of the touch panel of the touch panel device. The touch panel can be a touch panel without a display function, such as a touch pad, or with a display function, such as a touch screen. The touch sensor includes the driving electrodes and the sensing electrodes set on the board for forming a capacitance structure. At least one of the driving electrodes and the sensing electrodes is used as the sending electrode, and at least one is used as the receiving electrode. Thus, the signal can be sent and received by the existing electrodes and driver IC of the touch panel device for achieving the touch connection based on the electric field without an additional proximity card reader or like element, reducing the size and cost of the touch panel device.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a touch connection between a first touch panel device and a second touch panel device in accordance with the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, there are near fields 103a and 103b between the first touch panel device 101 and the second touch panel device 102. It should be noted that the first touch panel device 101 and the second touch panel device 102 are enabled to send and receive a signal. The first touch panel device 101 sends the signal to the second touch panel device 102 through a communication media which has an electric field pointed to the second touch panel device 102 (the near field 103a as shown in FIG. 1). The second touch panel device 102 sends the signal to the first touch panel device 101 through a communication media which has an electric field pointed to the first touch panel device 101 (the near field 103b as shown in FIG. 1). The X channel and the Y channel shown in FIG. 1 are used as the sending electrodes and the receiving electrodes set on the board for forming the capacitance structure.
FIG. 2 is a logic chart for achieving the touch connection system between the first touch panel device and the second touch panel device in accordance with the prior art. The first touch panel device includes a signal sending system 201 shown in FIG. 2, and the second touch panel device includes a signal receiving system 202 shown in FIG. 2. The signal sending system 201 includes a touch-and-connect request signal generation unit 211, a communication connection establishing unit 212 and a first communication unit 213. The touch-and-connect request signal generation unit 211 is used to generate a request signal for sending touch connection to the second touch panel device 102 through the sending electrode. The communication connection establishing unit 212 establishes a communication connection with the second touch panel device 102 after the receiving electrodes receive a response signal from the second touch panel device 102. The first communication unit 213 sends the communication information or the data to the second touch panel device 102 through the sending electrodes of the touch panel (not shown) after the communication connection is established.
The signal receiving system 202 includes a touch-and-connect request response unit 221, a communication connection establishing unit 222 and a second communication unit 223. The touch-and-connect request response unit 221 responds with an acknowledge signal to the first touch panel device 101 through the sending electrodes after the receiving electrodes receive a touch-and-connect request signal sent from the first touch panel device 101. The communication connection establishing unit 222 establishes the communication connection with the first touch panel device 101 after the touch-and-connect request response unit 221 responds with an acknowledge signal to the first touch panel device 101. The second communication unit 223 receives the communication information or the data sent from the first touch panel device 101 through the receiving electrodes after the communication connection is established.
FIG. 3 is a schematic illustrating the transmission and receiving of the signal by the electrodes of the touch panel with the prior art. As shown in FIG. 3, the touch sensor (not shown) includes the sending electrodes 311, 321 and the receiving electrodes 312, 322 disposed on the board (such as the first touch panel 301 or the second touch panel 302) for forming the capacitance structure. The sending electrodes 311, 321 are used to send the signal, and the receiving electrodes 312, 322 are used to receive the signal.
FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the touch connection method in accordance with the prior art. First, in step S401, the touch-and-connect request signal generation unit 211 generates a touch-and-connect request signal, and sends it to the second touch panel device 102 through the sending electrodes. Then the receiving electrodes receive the acknowledge signal responded from the second touch panel device 102 (step S202). After that, the communication connection establishing unit 212 establishes the communication connection with the second touch panel device 102 (step S203). Finally, the method goes to step S404, and the first communication unit 213 sends the communication information or the data to the second touch panel device 102 through the sending electrodes.
Regarding the transmission of information, the users transmit or receive data by wire or wirelessly in their daily lives. However, for a transmission technology using wires, the matching process is initiated by a direct coupling of the connecting mechanism between electronic devices. For a wireless transmission technology, the matching of the devices is executed by the complicated authority setting of the communication protocols which is set by users or automatically initiated. The above wire or wireless transmission technology limits the users and results in poor user experience due to the complicated settings.
Compared to ordinary keyboards or mouse devices, the touch operation can provide a more convenient and user-friendly operation method to users. Accordingly, more and more electronic devices are equipped with a touch function. Regarding mobile payment, if users want to perform a data transmission function such as mobile payment though electronic devices, the identification code or command code needs to be set one by one and it is very complicated and inconvenient.
Therefore, a touch electronic device and a touch link method for two or more than two electronic devices are needed to execute the touch link, complete the identification such as the setting of identification codes or command codes, and simplify the operating steps for performing the data transmission function.